Rising Faith
by Amanda M. Daugherty
Summary: Harm spends the day with a seven year old and learns a few things.


Title: Rising Faith   
Author: Amanda M. Daugherty  
E-mail: country_girl_2003@yahoo.com  
Rating: G  
Classification: Story, No real pairing   
Spoilers: NONE   
Summary: Harm spends the day with a seven year old and learns a few things.   
  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own JAG or the song. It's "The Balloon Song" written by Casey Beathard, performed by Mark Wills and can be found on his Loving Every Minute CD.   
  
  
Author' Note: I know Sturgis doesn't have a son, but for this story he does.   
  
  
**********************************  
  
  
"Sturgis go have fun. I promise I'll take care of Sam." I try and tell my old academy friend.   
  
"I don't know Harm." He says and I have to glare at him. The man really needs to get out some.   
  
"Sturgis look Bobbie is a terrific woman and the only bad quality about her is that she likes you. Now look Sam and I already have plans of going to the fair and coming back here and vegging out in front of my new tv. Now you can either go out and have fun with Bobbie or you can sit around your apartment being board, cause Sam and I sure aren't letting you come with us. Isn't that right Sam?" I turn and face the seven year old son of my buddy. He was sitting on a barstool chowing down on some homemade chocolate chip cookies my Grandmother sent down for Christmas. The small boy nodded his head enthusiastically up and down. "Sure Sturgis you own son doesn't even want you with us. So you better get going. I know Bobbie and she doesn't like for guys to be late." I smile and usher his out my door. As soon as he's gone I turn to my little friend. "Alright Sam lets get this show on the road."  
  
  
  
By the time we got back to my place from the fair was late in the evening and I had figured that Sturgis and Bobbie would have been back by then, but they hadn't. So Sam and I packed everything we had won up to my apartment. I carried the large stuffed dog up while Sam wore a pair of large neon green sunglasses and carried the two balloons that we had won. I plopped the dog down on my living room chair and started to fix some supper. I really never paid attention to what Sam was doing until I felt him tug on my jean clad leg.  
  
"Harm can I go outside?" I saw him holding the yellow balloon in his tiny hand.   
  
"Sure buddy, but what for?"  
  
"I need to send something."  
  
Confused I agreed, shut off the stove and we went outside.  
  
  
  
"I set a friend of mine up on a date  
And I told him I'd watch his boy for the day  
And we had a ball playin' games, eatin' dogs  
Riding rides at the county fair  
I thought he was just being a kid  
When we got back to my place   
And he did what he did  
ON a balloon that he won  
He wrote mama I had fun  
I missed you and I wished you were there  
I wasn't sure what he had in mind  
Till he jumped up and ran outside and"  
  
  
I hadn't expected him to do what he did. When we got outside he let the balloon go and waved to it till it was out of sight.   
  
"Harm..." he turned to me when he could see it anymore.  
  
"yeah."  
  
"Do you think mommy's got my message yet?" His eyes were so full of hope I couldn't disappoint him. He lost his mother when he was four in a car accident killing her and her and Sturgis's unborn daughter.  
  
"I sure it is, but if not I'm sure she'll get it real soon.   
  
  
"He let it go, he waved goodbye, or was it hello?  
I don't know but I died inside  
I can still see his excitement   
Him pointing and smiling   
When it was as gone as it could get  
He turned and asked me  
"You think it's in Heaven yet?"  
  
  
"Come on Harm. You can write a message to your daddy." Sam grabbed my larger hand into his smaller one and led me upstairs to my apartment. He then handed me his other balloon and his large black marker.   
  
I was about to write a letter to my dad when I realized that if I ever needed to talk to him I always went to the wall, but I had never really talked to my grandfather Rabb, I had never had a place to. When I was finished writing about my life I had nearly filled ever inch of the balloon.   
  
  
"Well I struggled for something to say  
I was too choked up and  
Lackin' the kind of faith he had in his heart  
Before I could start  
He walked me back inside  
He gave me his Crayola pen  
Said, "I bet there's a message that you'd like to send"  
And no doubt he was right it's been locked   
Up inside since Grandpa said goodbye  
I took that yellow balloon and I wrote  
"Til I ran out of room then..."  
  
  
When I was finished Sam grabbed my hand and together we went outside and we repeated the same steps we did with his balloon and when I could see it anymore I turned and asked Sam, "do you think my grandpa got it yet?"  
  
  
"I let go and we waved goodbye  
That seven year old   
Lord he opened my eyes  
I can still see his excitement  
Him pointing and smilin'   
When it was gone as it could get  
I turned and asked him  
"You think it's in Heaven yet?"  
  
  
I don't know what it is about a kids youth that makes an adult, even an old one like me see the world with new eyes and how something so small could be so meaningful. All I know is that day little Samuel Turner started a new tradition in the JAG family, a day when we all send a special message to someone special that we lost. A day called Rising Faith. A tradition that continues even today with me the old stiff JAG and him being the trouble maker in the courtroom that his dad once was.   
  
  
  
THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
***********************************************  
  
  
FEEDBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


End file.
